Identity (spoilers galore), C/D

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So, I saw this movie last night, and I really enjoyed the first 75%. But when they pulled the twist, which I had caught onto, though not exactly, the whole thing sort of deflated. Like, why do I care what happens to these people?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Am I the only who has seen this?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I also thought the first 75% was great. I thought the ending was very predictable and in a sense completely a shocker because I didn't think they would go that route. At least there weren't any aliens. That would've pissed me off.

― Carey (Carey), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Or indian burial grounds. I was scared of that.

But I had the same problem. So none of these are real people? Ok, great. Movie over, time wasted, go home unhappy. I was ROOTING for John Cusack, but how can I do that if he's a figment of some nutbag's imagination?

And this movie also marks another milestone in acceptance and understanding of the mentally ill. What's the message there? We SHOULD execute them?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Sarah and I saw it on Saturday. I liked it. I agree with the not caring about the characters thing, but I was in the movie for entertainment, not an emotional connection, so I didn't really care. The final final "twist" was kind of silly but necessary but I almost wish they hadn't had it. Ray Liotta rules. I don't know why I like him so much, but I do. I also like Amanda Peet and wish she got more challenging roles, because for some reason I think she's a good actress. The guy playing the murderer in real life was kind of overdoing it though, and he looked like that fat guy that used to be on the British Whose Line is it Anyway?

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

No, the message is that the little kid is always a bad seed and must be put down like a rabid dog!

― Carey (Carey), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Amanda Peet is one of the few actresses who can both act and get naked with equal dignity and aplomb.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Amanda Peet is all of a sudden pulling a Parker Posey in all her roles (esp Igby Goes Down). When that little kid was walking away from the explosion in the flashback everyone in my theater busted out laughing.

― Carey (Carey), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I was in the movie for entertainment, not
an emotional connection
But once you find out that none of the characters are "real," not even in the warped way that most movie characters are "real" there's no longer anything at stake. So the resolution is moot.
The acting was terrific, though.

crosspost:
No, the message is that the little kid is always a bad seed and must be put down like a rabid dog!

worse than sending confused messages about the mentally ill, this movie is definitely anti-fat kid.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

But once you find out that none of the characters are "real," not even in the warped way that most movie characters are "real" there's no longer anything at stake. So the resolution is moot.

But the only thing at stake was me being bored. And I wasn't bored.

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

okay, you have different parameters for what entertains you than I do.
Cuz, for me, with a thriller like that, for it to be entertaining, you have to give a shit about the outcome.

Did you see Darkness Falls, NA?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Nope. (to Darkness Falls query).

I don't know, I have weird issues with emotional attachment to movies/characters. Like I was saying in the movies that make you cry thread, I never cry at movies, because they aren't real. I guess I don't have the suspension of disbelief that other people do or something. I mean, 99% of movies and the process involved is so unrealistic that I can't get involved enough for me to get attached to characters. There are some exceptions, but typically, I just view movies as entertainment.

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Now that I think about it, this is probably a semiconscious thing I do, to distance myself and not let myself get attached to characters, because I don't like to be sad or scared, and don't see the point of letting myself feel bad over something that isn't real.

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

you weren't hugged much as a chile, were you?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

as a voodoo chile, that is.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, I thought you meant a country that is a long strip of land on the western coast of South America bordering Argentina. I have grown a lot since then.

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I am perfectly able to become attached to real people. I love you, after all.

― NA. (Nick A.), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway, I asked about DF because it creates (in my opinion, leastways) no reason to care about its characters whatsoever. it provides no mystery either. everything is laid out fairly bold in the opening titles.
however, there are some good shock moments. As an academic exercise, I suppose it's a fine horror flick, but (to me at least) I sure didn't care about what would happen to any of the characters.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.kontoyiannis.com/images/orange%20grove%20kh.jpg

I didn't see DF either, Horace, but I know what you mean about losing interest in the characters. That was my first feeling - when they first announced the twist. But as soon as they took you back to the dark stormy night and John Cusack, I cared again. In fact, I remember thinking, "Well, I guess that didn't ruin the movie for me."

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Monday, 12 May 2003 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

I just watched this, and I have to say that I didn't lose sympathy for Cusack or Amanda Peet. There wasn't any doubt that Cusack would die and Amanda would live, but I still found satisfaction in rooting for her, because I think there's a parallel between the characters in the wacko's mind and characters in Film. It's a movie within a movie, though we're audience to both; characters in a movie within a movie are still characters in a movie, and characters in a movie aren't real, either, but we still can empathize with the latter anyway.

― The Dreaded Rear Admiral (Leee), Saturday, 31 July 2004 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

And oh yeah, the DVD has an "Exclusive branched version of film with alternative ending and additional scene" = wtf?

― The Dreaded Rear Admiral (Leee), Saturday, 31 July 2004 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I guessed the "twist" from the fucking trailer. And had to sit through the movie having my hunches confirmed.

Remember that movie Charlie Kaufman's hack brother was writing in "Adaptation"? This is that movie.

DUD.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 1 August 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

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